OKRs 101
What are OKRs?
Objectives and Key Results, or OKRs, is a goal-setting methodology for organizations, teams, and individuals to set ambitious goals with measurable results.
What are OKRs not?
OKRs should not include all of your organization’s work or track business-as-usual activities. Duplicating what already exists as tasks or procedures isn’t focusing on what matters.
Where do OKRs come from?
"The Objective is the direction and the Key Results are the milestones..."
1950s
Peter Drucker develops Management by Objectives (MBO)
1970s
Andy Grove creates OKRs during his time at Intel
1975
John Doerr learns about OKRs from Andy Grove
1999
John Doerr introduces OKRs at Google
2000
Google starts using OKRs to grow
Today
Businesses worldwide use OKRs to grow
What companies use OKRs?
What determines a good OKR?
Six must-ask questions before creating an Objective
Formula
Questions to ask before creating a Key Result
Formula
What are the “superpowers” of OKRs?
OKRs help you manage your F.A.A.T.E.
Focus
Is your organization’s focus clear to everyone so teams can make better decisions, prioritize, and execute effectively?
Alignment
Alignment has five areas: purpose, strategy, organizational capability, resources, and management systems. Is your organization aligned in these areas?
Accountability
Is everyone clear about their responsibilities, from the top down so effective work can be accomplished?
Transparency
Do your employees know what’s happening around them, so they can adjust their goals while supporting the goals and work of others?
Engagement
Do your employees know the purpose of what they’re doing and how their work benefits the organization, their coworkers, and customers?
Do I need OKRs if I’m tracking KPIs?
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and OKRs go together. KPIs are a tool for evaluating performance. OKRs are used to drive performance improvement.
Where do I manage my OKRs?
Dedicated software can play a big role in managing the scale and cadence of OKR implementation. How?
- Standardizing OKR definitions and KR updates
- Showcasing contributions and interconnectedness of critical goals
- Making KR updates quick and easy for teams and individuals
- Populating OKR reports with up-to-date data
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You have decided to use OKRs to achieve goals. This guide has what you need to adopt OKRs successfully.
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